Follow The Rules
by AniLovesMe
Summary: The Doctor’s mysterious new companion seems to know more than she should. As they grow closer together, her life-altering secrets become harder to gaurd. Piecing together all the little clues, can the Doctor figure out who she is before these secrets destroy her?
1. The Doctor Lies

_The Doctor Lies_

"Please, Doctor." She said, sounding very upset.

He stopped pushing buttons on the console and turned to face her, giving her his full attention. He studied her with concerned eyes while she spoke.

"I just..." She felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, but continued. "I need you to be honest with me. Please." When he saw tears coming to her eyes, he walked over, cupping her face in his hands.

"My dear Aviana." He said, rubbing a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Whatever makes you think I wouldn't be?"

She knew that this was a sincere question. Even though they'd only met a few days ago, she knew he would never take a tearful matter and twist it with sarcasm.

As he looked at her in askance, she decided there was no harm in telling him what he already knew.

"Rule number one," she recited, her eyes filling with sadness. "The Doctor lies."

His hands fell away from her face and he looked at her for a silent moment before replying.

"Where did you hear that?"

When she didn't answer, he turned around, walking back to and leaning on the console.

This reaction only added to the stress she was already carrying. More tears fell as she waited for him to speak again, and when he finally did, his voice was not angry as she expected, but gentle. He slowly stepped back toward her as he spoke.

"Aviana I may not always be able to be completely honest with you, but you must know that I will never, ever do anything to betray you. I will protect you with my very life. You can trust me." His eyes were almost pleading. "You have to trust me."

Taking in this promise and all that it meant, she gave him a small smile despite the tears.

"Always and completely."

She could tell he was shocked at this sentence, as it was the same words he'd said to someone very precious to him, a very long time ago. But he gave her a smile, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

She felt him kiss the top of her head and they pulled back.

"Now, off to bed." He told her. "It's been a long day for you."

As the last of her tears faded away, she hesitantly nodded. He took her hand and led her down the halls of the TARDIS and finally stopped outside her bedroom door. "Goodnight, Aviana."

"Goodnight, Doctor."

"Sweet dreams."

He watched as she went inside. When the door finally closed, he ran back to the control room. With the things she'd mentioned, tonight he might finally be able to get some answers from his research.

He began his long night furiously typing at the console's computer.


	2. Gallifreyan Tea

Aviana opened her eyes, no longer hoping for sleep. It had been two hours since the Doctor had sent her to bed, and sleep was not coming easily. She had so much on her mind, so much to guard. But despite that, she felt that her and The Doctor had really made some progress tonight. They were comfortable with and around each other now, and hugs were becoming a regular thing. She smiled just thinking about that. The hugs were her favorite, so genuine and warm and secure. Like he was always going to take care of her. And that's what he'd promised.

She'd been upset because they'd been running from something that genuinely frightened her, and when they'd barely made it into the TARDIS in time, running for their lives, he wouldn't tell her what it was or why it was after them. And that's when she'd remembered the rules, and the very first one among them was coming to fruition right in front of her.

So she'd made him promise and he did; the best he could. He couldn't always tell her everything, she knew that, but he'd promised as much as he knew he could fulfill - that she could trust him. And she did, with her life, even before she met him.

Now she sat up, too awake to lie in bed any longer. She put on a robe and some slippers and headed out the door to the kitchen for some late night tea, hoping not to get lost. But the TARDIS was kind to her that night and she walked into the kitchen sooner than she expected. She was startled to find the Doctor there, sitting at the table with his own cup of tea.

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"No, no." He assured in a hushed voice. "It's alright, you aren't disturbing anything. Just thinking." He gazed at her thoughtfully with his arms crossed. She was beginning to get used to that. He studied her for a few moments before asking, "Are you alright, Aviana?"

"Yes, of course. Just couldn't sleep, so..."

"Tea?" He asked. When she nodded, he stood and fixed her a cup, setting it down at the table as she sat across from him.

"Thanks."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke. "So what about you, then? Couldn't sleep either?"

"I'm a Time Lord. Don't need as much sleep as humans do. You lot are terribly boring at nighttime."

She smirked. "I suppose we are."

"So," he began. "Nightmares?"

"No."

"Insomnia?"

"Not exactly."

"Something on your mind?" When she sipped her tea instead of answering, he nodded. "Care to talk about it?"

She gave him an uneasy smile. "I... don't think so. What about you?"

"What about me?" He asked.

"You may not need as much sleep, but you never sit still."

"I do too!"

"Not like this. Not in the middle of the night with an untouched cup of tea in front of you and your arms crossed. You look worried, Doctor." She leaned forward. "Are you okay?"

He gave her a bittersweet smile. "I'm always okay."

She suddenly looked very sad.

"...I know." She leaned back in her chair again, gazing intently into her cup as she brought it to her lips once more.

The Doctor realized what he said must have hurt her in some way.

"But," he continued, and she looked up, "I am also always worried. It seems the two go hand in hand."

"Always worried?" He nodded. "About what?"

He decided to tell the truth. "You."

She gave him a shy smile. "Me?"

"You are a mystery, Aviana. One that I am determined to solve. I've figured out a few things, but in the meantime, I need to keep you safe. I promised you I would look after you, and I shall. I just want to make sure you're still in one piece by the time I've solved the case."

"What 'things' have you figured out?" She asked. Although her voice was light, he could see the fear in her eyes.

He leaned forward, setting his elbows on the table. "You're obviously someone from my future. Don't know who or when yet. You seem to know so much about me and the TARDIS but at the same time, you're still discovering."

She kept her face straight. "And?"

He tapped her on the nose with his index finger, giving her a knowing smile. "Spoilers."

She had looked nervous up to that point, but when he said that word, a smile of relief flooded her features and she gave a small laugh.

"Fair enough." She drank more of her tea.

"Am I wrong?" He asked, still with that wry smile.

She figured once again that there was no harm in telling him what he already knew. "No."

"Good." He said, satisfied. He finally began drinking his own tea, his worries seemingly diminished.

"You think you're so clever!" She shook her head, smiling.

"Well. Aren't I?"

"Yes, but you shouldn't think it. It's awfully big-headed of you."

"1200 years and all the knowledge of time and space. You'd have to have a big head for that."

She laughed and finished off the rest of her tea. Then she yawned.

"Sleepy yet?" He asked cheerfully.

"I wasn't, but..." She yawned again. "What did you put in that tea?"

He laughed. "Time Lord recipe. Helps calm us down when we finally are ready to sleep. It must be extremely strong for you."

She was already looking groggy. "Oh man..." She blinked a few times, trying to keep focused.

He laughed again. "Off to bed with you then!"

She tried to and stood up but with another yawn she dropped back into the chair. She rubbed her eyes but didn't open them, opting to lean on her arms on the table instead of trying to walk. She sighed, very nearly falling asleep.

The Doctor made a face. "Guess I shouldn't have given you so much..."

When he walked around the table and tried to shake her awake, he got no response except a dreamy, contented sigh. He ran a hand over his face. "Okay, definitely shouldn't have given you so much."

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her until he found her room a few halls away from where it should have been, but he was too busy trying not to wake her to scold the TARDIS about switching things around. As he laid her in bed and pulled the covers around her, he couldn't help kissing her forehead as he whispered his goodnight.

When he left the room, he sighed. If she was who he thought she was, he had a feeling that the good-night kisses were only just beginning.

He went back to the kitchen to finish a few more cups of tea before heading off to bed himself.


	3. The Damage

After he directed the TARDIS into the time vortex, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath. That was definitely too close. He almost didn't get to Aviana in time...

Aviana!

He spun around and quickly walked over to where she was sitting on the control room floor, trying to catch her own breath and calm her nerves.

"Are you alright?" He went down to her level and began checking her over for any visible damage.

She took a deep breath and shooed his hands away. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

"You're sure?" He asked, taking the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

"Yes," she said before he began scanning. "Just help me up, would you?"

He put away his sonic and grabbed her hand, pulling her off the floor. She grunted in pain, and the Doctor stared at her for a moment before taking the sonic out of his pocket again. He looked her over, the betrayal in his eyes making her stare at the floor.

"Just a little sore," she offered, but his gaze was hard and he didn't look convinced as he scanned her.

Never let him see the damage. That was another very important rule, and she was breaking it. Her arms definitely hurt from the way those people had her strapped up in that containment unit. So much so that she felt like crying. But she was told to avoid ever letting him see the damage done to her, for fear it would break him further than he already was.

The sonic stopped buzzing and he looked at the scan results.

"Right." He said, taking her hand in his. "Come along." He gently pulled her behind him and they walked through several corridors before stepping through a silver swinging door. It was a room that Aviana had never seen before, even though out of all the rooms the TARDIS had, this one actually made a lot of sense.

A medical room.

Aviana began to be a bit worried. She thought she was only sore from the restraints. What had he seen on his sonic?

"Doctor am I alright?" She nervously asked as they stopped at an examination table.

He simply lifted her to sit on the table, as if she weighed nothing, and turned around to gather some things off a shelf. He did this with such smooth easiness that Aviana wondered if the action was subconsciously automatic or if his companions simply got hurt all the time.

"Jacket off please!" He said, turning back around to face her. She began peeling the leather jacket off of her arms, wincing. She stopped when she felt the sleeve sticking to her right bicep. She pulled a little more but sighed in pain. When the same happened with her left arm, the Doctor began helping. When he realized what it was, he looked her in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Aviana, I'm so sorry, but this going to hurt."

She stared at him, frightened.

"Just a bit," he added, hoping to reassure her. He continued rolling the sleeve off of her arm. She hissed in pain, but he continued. When she saw her arm, the pain made sense. There was a large slice across her bicep, bleeding heavily. The blood was spread all over her arm, making the jacket stick to her skin like Velcro and pulling at the wound. The Doctor finally finished and tossed the jacket to a corner of the room.

He began wiping her arm with a hot cloth.

"Ow," she said quietly.

"Sorry." He said. "The heat will help with disinfection."

They were silent for a few minutes as he cleaned around the wound. Aviana kept her eyes down, focusing on her lap and trying not to wince. The Doctor continued working in silence, and he finally put down the cloth. He turned around and grabbed a tube from off the shelf before squeezing some onto his finger. He held his fingers up to show her.

"Super cool helping cream!"

"That's the official name, then?" She asked, a small smile coming to her lips.

"Not even close, but I like mine better." He began applying it on the scrapes and cuts across her biceps. "It speeds up the healing process. Shouldn't have the bandages for too long."

It took another few minutes to apply the bandages to both arms, but when he finally finished he brushed his hands together and admired his handiwork.

"Tell it to me straight..." Aviana said. "Do I look like a mummy?"

"Nah. I've seen mummies and you are definitely - mostly - well, probably not very similar to one."

She rolled her eyes. Each arm had white bandages wrapped around from her armpits to her elbows. She sighed. "I suppose it could have been worse."

And just like that, his eyes grew dark and his expression was grave. "It could have been, yes."

He ran a hand through his hair and suddenly looked his ancient age.

"Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie." She replied, looking hurt.

"You hid something from me that I needed to know, it constitutes as lying in the dictionary, look it up!" He retorted, raising his voice a few decimals. "Dishonesty, disinformation, intentionally giving me the wrong impression, take your pick! How am I supposed to trust you when you turn around and do something like this?!"

For a moment she was speechless, too shocked to form the words to reply to his accusation. Was he still talking about her injury, or was this deeper and wider than they both wanted to admit?

The Doctor rubbed his eyes disquietly before exhaling. When he looked back up at her, she was silently crying. Mentally kicking himself, he realized they'd never had an argument before. He'd never spoken to her this way and she didn't understand the layers of history behind his anger at something that, to her, would be considered small.

"Aviana-"

Her eyes snapped up to him, holding fire between the tears.

"I didn't lie. I didn't know I was hurt when we were running for our lives, I thought I was just sore! You could have just asked me instead of assuming the worst!" She stopped to catch a shaky breath.

"Well-"

"And I would appreciate it if you would speak to me like I'm a decent human being instead of some charity case you picked up off the side of the road!" She hopped off the examining table and angrily picked up her jacket from where he'd thrown it. She wiped some tears away before shakilybadding, "and thanks for fixing me up!" Before stalking out of the room.

The Doctor let out a frustrated growl, more at himself than anything, and stomped down the hall. Maybe some tinkering in the console room would help him think clearer.


	4. The Damage Deepens

Aviana sat on her bed and cried.

She couldn't help the sobs that shook her frame. She'd been keeping so much inside for far too long, she just had to get it out. Trusting the TARDIS to keep her isolated, she didn't bother keeping quiet.

Everything was going wrong. All of the sudden everything was in question, even her relationship with The Doctor! He didn't even trust her... It hurt to see someone she loved so much suddenly withdrawal any trust or credibility he had in her.

She opened a blue notebook and began scanning the pages. Water blurred her vision but she didn't need to read. She had memorized the whole thing for months now, but she continued to look it over, just in case there was something she missed.

She had tried to do as she was told. She had tried to follow the rules. But they only seemed to complicate the situation rather than help. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up...

It didn't take long for the Doctor to start feeling guilty. But when he climbed out of the sling below the console and went in search of his companion, he discovered her room was nowhere to be found.

He paused for a moment when he passed by the spot that the door should have been at.

"Really?" He asked the TARDIS. The old girl seemed to hum an irked reply. "But I'm trying to talk to her." He placed his hands on his hips. "How are we supposed to talk if you won't let us?"

This hum was a bit longer.

"What do you mean she doesn't want to be found? Of course she does!"

Another hum.

"I know I hurt her. But I'm trying to apologize, if SOMEONE wasn't making things difficult... Oi!" He slapped the wall nearest him. "Behave! You may be old but you can still use your manners..."

A more indignant, angry hum came this time. He sighed.

"Come on, old girl. Please?"

She waited a long moment. So long that the Doctor considered going back to the console room until the TARDIS had changed her attitude. But the door appeared, exactly where it should have been.

"Thank you."

He took another calming breath before softly knocking. When there was no answer, he slowly opened the door. He found her sound asleep on her bed. Tears still stained her cheeks; it looked like she'd had quite the proper cry. His shoulders slumped.

He'd caused this.

All from something that probably wasn't as big a deal as he had made it out to be.

He turned to walk back out the door but stopped in his tracks, quickly swiveling back around to confirm what he thought he saw.

It was lying next to her on the bed, closed, but tempting him nonetheless.

And in that moment, all of his suspicions were confirmed. He finally knew exactly who this amazing, mysterious young lady was.


	5. Will You Stay With Me?

She walked out from the hallway still a little dazed from sleep, but perked up when the Doctor embraced her as soon as she entered the console room. She couldn't help but smile into his shoulder as he held her a bit longer than usual. He kissed her temple before letting her loose. She smiled again.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Morning?" She asked. "Have I slept that long?"

He nodded, pushing loose strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

She let that question linger in the air for a moment, and decided she did. She nodded.

"Excellent!" He said, clapping his hands together.

"Listen, I'm sorry if I-"

He gave a shake of his head. "No, Aviana."

"But I shouldn't have-"

He again shook his head. "My fault. All of it."

"Doctor, no! You were right, if I had just- hm!"

This time, he silenced her for good, placing his hand over her mouth.

"Aviana! I mean this in the best possible way - shut up!"

She blinked.

"Alright?"

She nodded. He removed his hand and she obliged, keeping quiet.

He turned around and began walking around the console in his usual, enthusiastic way before pulling a lever, and the TARDIS was moving. He turned back to her with his hands in his pockets.

"First, I want to apologize for last night. I was frustrated with more than just the situation at hand, and it all tumbled out onto you."

"But..."

He put a finger to his lips, reminding her to let him speak. She did the same and kept her finger there.

He continued. "That being said... Sorry." He gave her a crooked smile. "I know you didn't lie to me. But next time," he paused, making sure she was paying attention. "Tell me if you're hurting. I need to know, and it helps nothing if you keep it to yourself."

She narrowed her eyes, obviously sensing a story behind his words, but he raised his eyebrows at her expectantly. She nodded her understanding and he continued to speak.

"And I want you to know that I do trust you. I love that you want to travel with me and I never want you to question that." He gave a playful shrug. "I like you a bit, might want you stick around. Question is... Is that what you want?"

She looked shocked for moment, but smiled widely at him, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I think I might have accidentally muted you," he said.

She laughed. "Yes," she said.

"Will you stay with me?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed, running up to him and jumping into a hug. He laughed, spinning in a circle before setting her feet on the ground once again.

"Thank you!" She said breathlessly into his ear. "Thank you, thank you!"

"No my dear," he said, pulling back and tapping her on the nose. "Thank you."

The TARDIS landed and he spun back to the console.

"So in celebration of our first fight,"

"And make up," she added.

"And make up," he agreed. "I thought I'd take you somewhere fun."

She looked confused. "Fun?"

"What's that look for?" He asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"No offense, Doctor, but your idea of 'fun' usually gets us into life-threatening danger. Not that I mind, I'm just saying..."

"Not today." He said, smiling knowingly. "Today is your day."

"Really?" She asked. "Doctor, you don't have to do this. We had a fight, we made up. It happens. It doesn't mean you owe me anything."

He smiled at her, crossing his arms contentedly as he usually did when he was relaxed. "My dear Aviana. You are impossibly adorable."

She laughed. "Just wait. A few days down and you'll be singing a different tune. I'm told I'm quite the annoying sidekick."

"Quite the contrary, I've found. I'm not doing this because I owe you. I'm doing this because it makes you happy." He gestured to the door. "Look outside." She hesitated. "Go on, look. Don't take all day about it!"

She turned around and opened the door. Music flew in from outside and the smell of fresh pastries filled the air before she quickly closed it again. She turned back to him, shocked.

"Is that what I think it is?"

He shrugged. "Could be."

"Doctor, if this is some kind of practical joke, I might be tempted to slap you."

He laughed, walking over to her, grabbing her shoulders and spinning her back around to face the door. He opened it and they stood in the threshold, taking in the sights.

He leaned on her, hands still on her shoulders. They watched as balloons floated into the sky and people passed by wearing strange hats with round things on them. Oh, he would definitely have to get one of those.

"I've always wanted to come here..." She said, still gazing at everything as if it weren't real.

"Today, Aviana..." He whispered in her ear. "It's all yours."

He pushed her outside, following and closing the TARDIS doors with a snap of his fingers.


	6. Benedict

"So!" The Doctor exclaimed, spinning around the TARDIS console with his usual enthusiasm. "All of time and space. Where would you like to go?"

"Hello sweetie!"

The Doctor whirled around at those words, confused eyes searching the room. He didn't see his wife...

"Aw! You are such a sweetie, aren't you?"

Curious, the Doctor walked around the console, noticing the TARDIS door was open and his companion was crouching on the floor.

"Who are you talking to?" He asked.

She looked at him before smiling. "I found a friend!"

The Doctor walked over to her before seeing what it was the girl was talking about. A grey cat was standing in front of her, nuzzling her hand affectionately and purring loudly. She giggled, letting her hand slide across its back. The Doctor made a face.

"Cats... Strange species, they are. Bipolar, if you want my professional opinion. Also, rubbish nurses."

Aviana didn't seem to hear, her attention focused only on the feline.

"How'd it get in here, anyway?"

"I saw him a bit earlier on the sidewalk. He must have followed me home! Are you lost?" She asked it, as if expecting an answer. The Doctor refrained from rolling his eyes. Aviana scratched its neck, looking for something. "I don't see a collar... And I don't feel a chip. I don't think he belongs to anyone."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, already knowing where this conversation would lead. "Stop that thought right there! The answer is no."

Aviana looked disappointed. "Oh, Doctor!"

"No animals on my TARDIS, thank you very much."

"But it's so cold outside! What is he gonna do? You can't just throw poor Benedict out onto the street!"

The Doctor paused. "Benedict?"

She shrugged. "Well he looks like a -"

"You can't start naming every animal you come across! You'll get attached!"

Aviana stood and the cat began rubbing against her ankles, purring all the more. "But Doctor..."

"Listen. If I took in every animal I felt sorry for, this wouldn't be a time machine. It would be a zoo!"

She was giving him those eyes. She looked a lot like a chastised puppy. "But it's not like you don't have the room."

"Aviana, I have plenty of room. That's the problem! Think of Benedict." He reasoned, already subconsciously using the given name. "We'd put his litter box in one room, but the TARDIS is infinite. The poor cat would never even be able to find his loo! And cats like to wander around. Once he's out of your sight, you'd never be able to find him again!"

"Okay, good point... but what if we programmed the TARDIS to keep him in certain rooms? That would work!"

"That would... Work..." he paused while his brain figured out the algorithm, realizing he was losing this battle. "That would work, actually."

She hopped up out of excitement. "Really? So we can keep him?!"

The Doctor stuttered. "W-Well..."

Her eyes were so full of hope. And any argument that came to his mind already had a solution. He had nothing in the way of arguement.

He rubbed his eyes, opening them only to see her bright, excited eyes. She'd been sad enough lately, he didn't want to break her spirit.

He gave in. "Alright!" He yelled, throwing his hands up in the air helplessly. "Alright, close the door!"

She squeaked excitedly and ran to close the door behind her as the Doctor began entering the program to keep the cat centrally located around Aviana's room. He sighed and shook his head, amazed at how easily he just allowed a cat to travel in time and space.

But if anything, she was happy.


	7. Hello Sweetie!

"Hello, Sweetie."

The Doctor didn't react at first. He thought Aviana had found another stray animal to beg him to keep, but then he blinked. He knew that voice. He turned around with a crooked smile, eyes beaming at his wife, who now stood across the room where she had not been a second ago. He strode over to her and slipped an arm around her waist, smoothly pulling her into a passionate kiss.

She was shocked for only a second before she realized: even coming from both ends of the time stream, it had been too long.

She returned the kiss and they were very quickly lost in the moment. His hands tangled with her wild curls and he almost started backing toward the general direction of their bedroom, but something else nagged at the back of his mind. Unable to ignore it, he gently broke the kiss.

River looked up at him, nearly panting for air.

"Bravo, Sweetie!" She praised, gazing at him with surprise on her face. He laughed the wonderful, care-free laugh that came to him only when he was with her.

"Welcome home, dear." He replied.

"I should come home more often," she said with a smirk. He tapped her nose.

"I agree."

He took her hand in his and walked over to the console, flicking the switch to let them float in the vortex for a while.

"So where are we, Professor?"

"It's almost our anniversary, sweetie!"

"Which one?"

She winked. "Spoilers."

"Well then, Wife..." He brought their linked hands to his mouth and kissed hers. "Happy Anniversary."

River beamed.

When he turned back to her, he was serious.

"Is everything alright, Doctor?" River asked, concerned. "Where are we for you?"

"Yes," he assured. "You sent me an interesting surprise present a few weeks ago."

Her concern turned into worry. "Yes. I suppose I did..." When he raised an eyebrow, she explained. "I thought I programmed the vortex manipulator to come a little earlier." She glanced around. "I wanted a bit of alone time. This thing has really been acting up lately! Yesterday I tried to go on an archeological dig in the twenty-third century and it got me there six months after the fact!"

She glared daggers at the object attached to her wrist. The Doctor held it up and gently removed it, taking out his sonic screwdriver and scanning the manipulator. After reading the results, he began taking it apart. River bit her lip.

"So... Did you like the surprise?" She asked timidly. The Doctor looked up, a slow smile spreading out across his face. He stood and hugged her, relieving her anxiety and any doubt.

"I love it," he whispered in her ear. "And you're just in time."

"Am I?"

"I figured it out only a day ago."

"Really?" She asked.

"Took a bit. I had my suspicions all along but I didn't want to jump to conclusions."

"Right. Conclusions."

"And it wasn't easy. She's very good."

River hummed a laugh. "I taught her well."

"But you didn't teach her everything."

"Well I had to leave some way to help you find out. Where is she, by the way?"

"She's asleep. Or should be, she's been having some trouble with that lately."

"Nightmares?"

"She won't say. She's very careful about spoilers."

"Good girl," River said. The Doctor laughed again.

"Doctor!" They heard, her voice lazily calling down one of the hallways.

"In-"

His voice was suddenly muffled by River's hand over his mouth. He turned to her.

"Not tonight." She said. "We'll tell her in the morning. But tonight is ours." She sauntered off down the opposite hall, sashaying her hips more than necessary, toward the bedroom made just for them, and the Doctor swallowed. It was awfully hot in here. He adjusted his bow tie and turned toward the hallway from which Aviana was still calling him.

"In here!"

She appeared in the console room and the Doctor gave a small laugh. She was clad in her pajamas and slippers, hair ruffled and extended in funny different directions.

"You look lovely."

"Shut up."

"Can't sleep again?" He asked.

"I'm so tired," she supplied. "All day. But as soon as I get in bed and turn the light off my brain decides to try to figure out all the complexities of life."

"The human brain sounds like it comes with quite a lot of baggage."

"Apparently mine does. Do you have any more of that tea you gave me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You mean the Galifreyan tea that knocked you out for two days?" He shook his head. "No. Not for you."

"Oh, come on."

"Aviana, no! Knowing you, you'll chug it down and be out for a week."

"Doctor!" She pleaded, exasperated.

"There's something else I want to try."

She looked at him warily. "What?" He raised his hands. "What are you doing?"

"Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course."

He placed his fingers on her temples. "I'm going to tap into your mind a bit."

Her hands came up to his. "Wait-"

"It's alright, Aviana. I'm not looking for information. But if there's anything you don't want me to see, just picture it behind a locked door, and I won't go near it. All I'm going to do is activate the sleep endorphins in your brain."

She looked into his eyes for a moment before answering. "Okay."

They both closed their eyes, and it only took him a few seconds to do what he needed. When he severed the link, her eyes fluttered and she instantly fell asleep. The Doctor scooped her up just as her legs gave out beneath her, and he walked down the hall with her in his arms.

"Back in a minute!" He called over his shoulder, knowing River was watching.

When they met up in their suite a few minutes later, River was looking over herself in the mirror, but hardly seeing her reflection. Her eyes were sad. The Doctor walked up behind her, rubbing a hand on her back. "What's wrong, River?"

"I'm alright," she supplied. "It's just... it's been ages since I've seen that girl. I didn't realize how much I missed her until I heard her voice."

The Doctor kissed her cheek, continuing his back rub until she turned to face him.

"I'm so happy we're all together. Do you know that?" The Doctor smiled at her.

"I'm serious, Sweetie. I never dared to imagine that we could ever be a real family, together like this..." She looked away. The Doctor recognized that look.

"Shhh..." He soothed, bringing his face to hers once more, foreheads touching. River took a deep breath, calming her emotions before the tears came. She reveled in his caress, accepting it for all the times she'd met his younger self when he wasn't as affectionate.

"Once again, my beautiful wife... You've given me more than I could ever dare to hope for, and I love you for it."

With that, he closed the space between them.


End file.
